How do you pick the best investment in an emerging, but promising industry like cannabis? After all, don’t most start-ups fail?  According to the Pareto principle, which very much applies here (also known as the good ol’ 80/20 rule of thumb), we know that at least eight out of 10 start-ups will not survive. Really, it’s more like nine out of 10. And that’s in already-established industries. Factor in the volatile, emerging nature of the cannabis business, and we might as well be talking about the Wild West. That’s why we recommend investors look at the current big… Read More

How do you pick the best investment in an emerging, but promising industry like cannabis? After all, don’t most start-ups fail?  According to the Pareto principle, which very much applies here (also known as the good ol’ 80/20 rule of thumb), we know that at least eight out of 10 start-ups will not survive. Really, it’s more like nine out of 10. And that’s in already-established industries. Factor in the volatile, emerging nature of the cannabis business, and we might as well be talking about the Wild West. That’s why we recommend investors look at the current big players in the marijuana space — the future “blue chips” of cannabis, if you will.  —Recommended Link— Make $37,500 This Week From Legal Cannabis? The doors just swung wide open for a completely new way to invest in the marijuana boom. One that delivers insane profits in the blink of an eye. Better still, you can do it without getting involved in some far-flung idea like buying into a private pot company or taking part in an IPO. The next recommendation could hand you gains of up to 1,400% (or more). In as little as… Read More

Hollywood’s fortunes may rest on the big screen, but one movie theater chain is making an important move to diversify. AMC Entertainment (NYSE: AMC) is launching a brand new service that will stream video right to your mobile phone or living room. It will be the first movie exhibitor in the U.S. to offer such a platform.  Members of AMC’s premium Stubs loyalty program — 21+ million strong — will soon have the option to rent or buy more than 2,000 feature films and view them on any internet-connected TV or mobile device. The company has already secured licensing… Read More

Hollywood’s fortunes may rest on the big screen, but one movie theater chain is making an important move to diversify. AMC Entertainment (NYSE: AMC) is launching a brand new service that will stream video right to your mobile phone or living room. It will be the first movie exhibitor in the U.S. to offer such a platform.  Members of AMC’s premium Stubs loyalty program — 21+ million strong — will soon have the option to rent or buy more than 2,000 feature films and view them on any internet-connected TV or mobile device. The company has already secured licensing agreements with every major Hollywood studio. They’ll even stream new releases once they are out of theaters. Why Move Into Streaming? You may be wondering why a movie theater chain like AMC would make such a move. This article in The New York Times summarizes the problem thusly: The movie theater industry has long been at odds with online video. Why trek to theaters if thousands of movies are available at the click of a button at home or on your phone? Sure, new films do not arrive on V.O.D. until they have played in… Read More

We all have to-do lists that grow longer every day. Many of us look at what needs to be done right now, and we deal with things as they become urgent. You could say we have a short-term focus. For example, as I look out the window, I see tumbleweed piled up against the fence. The wind blows it into the fence, and, in a perfect world, I’d get out there and throw it to the other side so the wind could blow it to Nebraska or wherever tumbleweed goes. If I don’t do that, it weakens the fence, and… Read More

We all have to-do lists that grow longer every day. Many of us look at what needs to be done right now, and we deal with things as they become urgent. You could say we have a short-term focus. For example, as I look out the window, I see tumbleweed piled up against the fence. The wind blows it into the fence, and, in a perfect world, I’d get out there and throw it to the other side so the wind could blow it to Nebraska or wherever tumbleweed goes. If I don’t do that, it weakens the fence, and eventually the fence will need to be repaired. But the dishwasher also needs to be emptied, and a load of laundry needs to be folded, and three more loads need to be done, and… Well, let’s just say the fence isn’t urgent, and I am doing urgent chores around the house today. That fence will hold out for years. Investors — even those who claim to be long-term investors — can often adopt a short-term focus. Even while saying they believe that stocks always deliver gains in the long run, they focus on today’s price changes and they look at… Read More

The big tobacco companies are always in the crosshairs of regulators. That’s certainly no secret. But new scrutiny has come in the form of worries about deaths related to “vaping,” and the numbers of teens who are using electronic cigarettes in general. As it turns out, this could create an opening for a little-known company that may hold the key to a lot of problems the tobacco industry is facing. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, some background… The ‘Vaping’ Crisis, Explained #-ad_banner-#If you’re not familiar with vaping, here’s how I described it in a recent article:… Read More

The big tobacco companies are always in the crosshairs of regulators. That’s certainly no secret. But new scrutiny has come in the form of worries about deaths related to “vaping,” and the numbers of teens who are using electronic cigarettes in general. As it turns out, this could create an opening for a little-known company that may hold the key to a lot of problems the tobacco industry is facing. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, some background… The ‘Vaping’ Crisis, Explained #-ad_banner-#If you’re not familiar with vaping, here’s how I described it in a recent article: … vaping is the use of a small battery-powered device called an electronic pen, or e-cigarette. This e-cigarette heats nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create a water vapor that is inhaled. The tobacco itself doesn’t ignite as it does with a traditional cigarette. So, there’s no smoke, just water vapor containing nicotine. Vape pens are also used to smoke marijuana. As I stated in that article, the whole goal of e-cigarettes was to help adult smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes and offer a less toxic alternative. The problem: vaping has also become popular… Read More

As the saying goes, there are three kinds of falsehoods: lies, damned lies, and statistics.  That quote is often attributed to 19th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. I doubt he was referring to financial matters. But there are few places where numbers are as frequently bent, twisted, adjusted, and dissected as the investment world.  Even when data isn’t being deliberately manipulated, numbers can still paint a misleading picture. Case in point, you might be surprised to hear that nearly 400 large-cap U.S. stocks are in negative territory this year. That sure doesn’t jive with the healthy 22% return of… Read More

As the saying goes, there are three kinds of falsehoods: lies, damned lies, and statistics.  That quote is often attributed to 19th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. I doubt he was referring to financial matters. But there are few places where numbers are as frequently bent, twisted, adjusted, and dissected as the investment world.  Even when data isn’t being deliberately manipulated, numbers can still paint a misleading picture. Case in point, you might be surprised to hear that nearly 400 large-cap U.S. stocks are in negative territory this year. That sure doesn’t jive with the healthy 22% return of the S&P 500. —Recommended Link— $5 Stock To Rake In $4.6 Million A DAY In 5G Patent Royalties Apple, Samsung, LG, and others will owe one under-the-radar company up to $6.65 billion in 5G licensing fees… potentially sending this $5 stock to Google levels or higher. Early investors could see $5,000 turn into $117,385 in the next 12 months. Stake your claim before this company’s name hits the evening news. Click here for full details. ​ But this market-cap-weighted barometer isn’t representative of the market as a whole. The… Read More

Last month, I hauled the family from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a few days of fun and relaxation at the end of the summer. That’s about a 1,900-mile journey round-trip.  #-ad_banner-#I’m not sure how many interstate exits there are along that particular stretch of road, but I think we must have taken pit stops at about half of them for fuel, snacks, and/or bathroom breaks. Years ago, weary travelers had no clue what amenities could be found at upcoming exits (except whatever tall signs were visible from a distance). Of course, we have a wealth of… Read More

Last month, I hauled the family from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a few days of fun and relaxation at the end of the summer. That’s about a 1,900-mile journey round-trip.  #-ad_banner-#I’m not sure how many interstate exits there are along that particular stretch of road, but I think we must have taken pit stops at about half of them for fuel, snacks, and/or bathroom breaks. Years ago, weary travelers had no clue what amenities could be found at upcoming exits (except whatever tall signs were visible from a distance). Of course, we have a wealth of information at our fingertips these days. GPS-enabled navigation systems not only provide turn-by-turn directions but an alphabetized list of food and lodging options at the push of a button. This amazing technology can even alert drivers to upcoming traffic jams and suggest an alternate course. But even without digital assistance, travelers can still rely on those faithful blue signs along the way. You know… the ones that display the logos of nearby restaurants, hotels and gas stations.  Hungry? One glance and you will know there’s a Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Subway coming up just a mile or two down… Read More

As you may know, I’ve spent a fair amount of time recently talking about investing in marijuana stocks. This may sound curious, since my background is in trading. But marijuana is a great market. It’s a product with a long history of demand. And that demand is increasing as the supply structure is changing. That’s a great opportunity for traders and investors alike. —Recommended Link— This Amazon trade pays out every year There’s no easier way to make money than trading a stock that makes the same move each year — year after year. Here’s… Read More

As you may know, I’ve spent a fair amount of time recently talking about investing in marijuana stocks. This may sound curious, since my background is in trading. But marijuana is a great market. It’s a product with a long history of demand. And that demand is increasing as the supply structure is changing. That’s a great opportunity for traders and investors alike. —Recommended Link— This Amazon trade pays out every year There’s no easier way to make money than trading a stock that makes the same move each year — year after year. Here’s how we’ve made $1,200 with this secret, each time — and how you can do the same. How Cannabis Is Changing For decades, marijuana has been illegal. It’s been widely distributed and readily available, but it was often only available as dried leaves. Availability in other forms is one of the most exciting changes in the market right now. Researchers have long known that there are hundreds of different compounds in the cannabis plant. In recent years they have learned to isolate some of these compounds to produce specific pharmaceutical and other beneficial effects. This is… Read More